Charity urges overhaul of online gambling marketing laws, with children at risk of harm

• New report from GambleAware warns children and young people are being exposed to  gambling content online before an age they can critically evaluate it, leading to it being normalised as risk-free and increasing their likelihood of experiencing harm.
• Report calls out failings including inadequate regulatory structures that rely too heavily on self-regulation and do not reflect the unique challenges presented by the digital age.
• The charity is calling for further restrictions to online gambling marketing and content, including the introduction of mandatory health warnings on all gambling marketing and for online platforms to be held to greater account.
• Previous GambleAware research found strong public support for changes, with four in five children (79%) saying they want more rules around gambling content and advertising on social media¹ and over seven in ten adults also saying they want more regulation around gambling advertising on social media (74%)². 

Regulations for online gambling marketing must urgently be brought into the digital age, a new report from the charity GambleAware has warned. 

The report reveals that despite gambling being an age-restricted product, children are being exposed to gambling marketing online, before they reach an age at which they can critically evaluate it. This is leading to gambling being normalised and portrayed as ‘risk-free’, which increases the risk of them experiencing gambling harm.

Gambling harms are becoming an increasing part of children’s lives, with previous research finding that in 2024, around 85,000 children in Britain were experiencing harm from their own gambling, a figure which has doubled since 2023³. GambleAware’s new report highlights how seeing gambling marketing and content, online and via social and streaming platforms, could be encouraging children to gamble and contributing to the number experiencing harm. 

The new report calls out poor regulation of gambling marketing online, highlighting how more needs to be done to ensure the rules reflect the unique challenges presented by the digital age and urges a reduction in self-regulation to protect children from being exposed to age-restricted gambling content. Alongside this, GambleAware is also calling for mandatory health warnings to be put on all gambling marketing so people are aware of the risks and support available.
Specific changes to help protect children could include moves to hold online platforms to greater account and ensuring existing government programmes, such as the Online Safety Act and Online Advertising Programme, more directly address gambling marketing and content online. Alongside this, other recommendations include the alignment and strengthening of online safety regulatory powers and programmes. 

GambleAware research also found strong public support from children and adults for changes to gambling marketing and advertising regulation. Around four in five children (79%) say they want more rules around gambling content and advertising on social media. Alongside this, over seven in ten adults also agree, saying they want more regulation around gambling advertising on social media (74%) and gambling related content on social media (70%). 

Anna Hargrave, GambleAware Transition CEO, said: “Gambling operators invest significant resources into online marketing because it works at getting people to gamble more. This has resulted in children and young people being exposed to gambling content online before an age at which they can critically evaluate it and understand the risks that come with it.

“The current regulations covering gambling marketing and advertising online were designed before most children had easy access to the internet. Urgent action is needed to update these rules and bring them into the digital age to help keep children and young people safe from gambling harm.” 

ENDS

Notes to editors:
1. The Appeal of Celebrity Ambassadors to Children & Young People Aged 11–17 www.gambleaware.org/our-research/publication-library/articles/sherbert-research-the-appeal-of-celebrity-ambassadors-to-children-young-people-aged-11-17/ 
2. Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey 2024:                   www.gambleaware.org/our-research/publication-library/articles/annual-gb-treatment-and-support-survey-2024/
3. Young People and Gambling 2024: Official statistics: www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/publication/young-people-and-gambling-2024-official-statistics